Tool article and method of use



sfipt. 8, 1970 w, 0, GANGL ETAL 3,527,295

TOOL ARTICLE AND METHOD OF USE Filed Nov. 12, 1968 INVENTORS WILLIAM o. GANGL WILLIAM J. GANGL H6 4 MWM;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,527,295 TOOL ARTICLE AND METHOD OF USE William 0. Gang], 211 E. Owasso Lane, St. Paul, Minn. 55112, and William J. Gangl, St. Paul, Minn.; said William J. Gang! assignor to said William 0. Gang] Filed Nov. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 774,618 Int. Cl. E21b 33/03 US. Cl. 166-35 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A new tool for installing drop-pipe in the casing of Wells is taught. The tool is free of moving parts and consists essentially of a flat plate member having a pipereceiving slot opening extending therein from the periphery thereof into the central area thereof. Along the upper surface of the plate member immediately adjacent the slot opening are flat-topped lugs. The slot opening is of a width which permits drop-pipes to be slipped laterally through the slot and then longitudinally through the portion of the opening located centrally in the plate member; but the width of the slot opening is insufiicient to permit coupling members uniting separate lengths of drop-pipe to pass longitudinally through it. Thus, the shoulder of a pipe coupling member rests upon the upper surface portions of the tool immediately adjacent the slot opening. The pipe coupling member may be slid from a rested position on the flat top lugs to a downward position free of the lugs and centered over the central area of the plate member at the inner terminus of the slot opening. Skirt flanges depend from the plate member in concentrically spaced fashion about the central portion of the slot opening; and these flanges serve as guide elements for centering the tool on the top of a well casing.

In use, a droppipe with a coupling member at its upper end is lowered down a well casing through the slot opening of the tool and then held in resting position on the tool over the well casing by virtue of the fact that the shoulder of the coupling member does not pass through the slot opening of the tool. Then an additional length of drop-pipe with a coupling member at its upper end is afiixed to the coupling member resting on the tool. The assembly of drop-pipe is slightly raised and the tool removed from below the lower coupling member and placed on the drop-pipe just above the lower coupling member, after which the aforenoted operations are repeated until the desired length of drop-pipe is installed in the well casing.

This invention relates to a new tool for installing droppipe in Well casings and to a new method for installing drop-pipe employing this tool.

A variety of devices such as turbine bowls, submersible pumps and the like are commonly lowered into the casing of wells by a technique involving first attaching the device to the lower end of a pipe or tube (herein called droppipe) having a coupling member at its upper end, and then lowering that assembly by crane action or analogous means down the Well casing until the coupling member is just above the upper edge of the well casing. At this point, it is necessary to support the pipe or tube so as to release the lowering mechanism and attach an additional length of pipe or tube to be lowered down the casing. in the past, it has been customary to use clamping tools (such as pipe vices) to support the lowered length of pipe during release of the lowering mechanism and connection of an additional length of drop-pipe. Much time is required for the opening and closing of such clamping devices. Additionally, cold weather frequenly interferes with the adjustability of the movable parts.

The new tool of this invention contains no parts which Patented Sept. 8, 1970 move relative to one another; and therefore this new tool is not subject to being rendered useless as a result of freezing weather or the like. The nature of this new tool permits submersible pumps or like devices having electric cables to be installed in a well without danger of piercing or injuring the electric cable, as sometimes occurs when clamping devices are used. The new tool assists in maintaining a drop-pipe centered within a well casing during the installation procedure. This tool has no removable parts to accidentally drop into a well casing. It is not rendered inoperative as a result of being covered or fouled with mud, a material very commonly present at the top of a well during the time of installation of drop-pipe.

The installation of drop-pipe and accompanying devices such as submersible pumps, when accomplished using this new tool, may proceed at a rate effective to reduce installation time up to about one-half the time required for prior art techniques involving the use of clamping devices. The new method completely obviates the need for affixing clamping devices to hold drop-pipe against falling down a well casing during removal of the lowering mechanism from the assembly.

The new tool includes a fiat plate member having a pipe-receiving slot opening extending therein from the periphery thereof into the central area thereof. The termination of this slot opening is considered to be a pipe central passage and the portion of the slot opening between the pipe central passage and the periphery of the plate member is considered to be a pipe lateral passage. The pipe lateral passage is equipped with a flat-topped lug extending along and united integrally with the upper plate-member surface immediately adjacent each side of that lateral passage. The width of the slot opening is essentially uniform throughout its extent, and is suflicient to permit drop-pipe to be slipped laterally through the lateral passage and longitudinally through the central passage, but insufficient to permit the shoulder of coupling members uniting separate lengths of drop-pipe to pass longitudinally therethrough. Thus, the shoulder of a pipe coupling member may be slid from a resting position on the fiat-topped lugs of the pipe lateral passage to a down- Ward position free of those lugs and centered over the pipe central passage. At least one skirt-guide-flange which approaches but is of incomplete cylindrical configuration depends from the lower surface of the plate member in portions thereof free of the pipe lateral passage. This skirt-guide-flange is concentrically spaced about the pipe central passage, and is adapted to serve as a guide element for centering the tool on the top of a well casing, with the skirt-gnide-fiange either inside or outside the upper edge of the well casing.

The invention will further be described by reference to a drawing made a part hereof wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, schematically illustrating the relationship of the new tool of this invention to drop-pipe and a well casing during installation of drop-pipe and an accompanying submersible pump;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the new tool of the invention; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, particularly FIG. 1, the new tool 10 is illustrated partially in section and in a rest position at the upper edge of the casing 11 of a well. A submersible pump 12 attached to the lower end of drop-pipe 13 and having an electric cable 14 attached to it is shown as an illustrative device being lowered into the well. At the upper end of drop-pipe 13 is a pipe coupling member 15; and it will be observed that the outer diameter of the pipe coupling member 15 is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the pipe 13, which is a well known characteristic of the coupling members commonly employed to join together conduits or lengths of pipe.

Above coupling member 15 is a phantom showing in dash lines of a further length of pipe 16 and an upper coupling member 17. It is emphasized that the diameter of the coupling members 15 and 17 is such that a shoulder area 18, extending outwardly from the outer diameter of the pipe members 13 and 16 respectively, is present. The shoulder area or extension 18, which is best marked in FIG. 1 at the phantom view portion thereof, plays a sig nificant part in the method of this invention, and the practical use of the new tool taught herein. Although a similar shoulder 19 is present at the upper edge of the coupling members joined to the lengths of drop-pipe, that upper shoulder need not be present for the practice of this invention. It is, however, inherently present when the usual or common coupling members are employed to join lengths of pipe.

Referring to the drawing, the details which characterize the new tool of this invention will be described. The tool is a unitary article free of moving parts or parts which move with respect to one another. It is preferably formed in its entirety by a casting process. Normally it consists of cast metal, such as steel or aluminum or magnesium; although it may, if desired, be formed of plastic such as nylon or a reinforced plastic, particularly of the thermoset type.

A feature of this new tool is that its main body portion is in the nature of an essentially flat plate member 20, preferably of generally circular configuration. The circularly-shaped fiat plate member has a pipe-receiving slot opening (broadly identified by the arrow 21 in FIG. 2 of the drawing) which extends into the fiat plate member from the periphery 22 thereof into the central area 23 thereof. This slot opening preferably extends in a radial direction into the circular plate member. The inner central terminal part of the slot opening 21 is characterized as a pipe central passage. The pipe central passage is centered in the plate member 20; and the inner terminus of the slot opening is suitably hemi-circular, as illustrated at numeral 23. The portion of the slot opening 21 between the pipe central passage 23 and the periphery 22 of the plate member is characterized as a pipe lateral passage.

The pipe lateral passage (defined by the side Walls or surfaces labeled 24 and 25) is equipped on the upper plate-member surface immediately adjacent each side of it with flat-topped lugs 26 and 27. These lugs extend along and are united integrally to the upper plate-member surface immediately adjacent that lateral passage. Preferably, from the standpoint of sliding a coupling member (such as coupling member or 17) from a resting position on lugs 26 and 27 to a downward position free of those lugs 26 and 27 and centered over the pipe central passage 23, each of the lugs 26 and 27 is provided at the terminal end thereof nearest the pipe central passage 23 with a tapered section 28 and 29 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The tapered inner terminus of each flat-topped lug 26 and 27 is in the nature of a slope or curve from the flat top downwardly toward the upper surface of the plate member 20. Also, the inner terminus of each lug is sufficiently spaced from the center of the pipe central passage 23 to allow a pipe coupling member 15 to rest on the upper surface of plate member at that central location without hinderance from the ends 28 and 29 of the lugs 26 and 27. While rail-like fiat-topped lugs are preferably employed, as illustrated in the drawing, it will be recognized that wider lugs may be employed and may impart additional strength to the tool. I p

The upward projection of the flat-topped lugs should be at least about one-sixteenth inch above the upper flat surface of the plate member 20. Among other things, an important function of the flat-topped lugs 26 and 27 is to prevent or hinder a coupling member (such as coupling member 15) from sliding outwardly in slot opening 21 after the coupling member has been oriented centrally over the pipe central passage 23. Thus the height for the lugs should be at least about one-sixteenth inch above the upper surface of the plate member 20; but on the other hand, the height for the lugs should not be greater than about one-half inch above the upper surface of plate member 20. A height for the lugs in excess of one-half inch would interfere with the use of a pipe wrench on a coupling member (such as coupling member 15 in FIG. 1) to hold it against rotation at the time of connecting an additional length 16 of drop pipe to the coupling member 15. Of course, where extraordinarily large coupling members are employed, the dimensions just given for the height of the lugs 26 and 27 may be inapplicable; and lugs of a height of one-inch or even greater may be employed, provided they do not interfere with any mechanism employed to hold a coupling member against rotation at the time of connecting additional drop-pipe. In most applications, however, the drop-pipe employed will not have a diameter in excess of about two or possibly three inches, with the coupling members for it having outer diameters up to approximately one-half inch or so greater than the outer diameter of the drop-pipe; and under such circumstances, the aforenoted dimensions for the height of the flat-topped lugs are preferred.

The width of the slot opening 21 into the plate member 20 is a function of the outer diameter of the droppipe and the coupling members with which the tool is employed. This width in all cases is essentially uniform throughout the extent of the slot opening. It must be sufiicient to permit the drop-pipe to be slipped laterally through the lateral passage defined by walls 24 and 25, and then longitudinally through the central passage 23 of the slot opening. However, the width of the slot opening is insufficient to permit the shoulder (as illustrated at 18 in FIG. 1) of coupling members uniting separate lengths of drop-pipe to pass longitudinally through the slot opening. Thus, the shoulder 18 of a pipe coupling member 15 or 17 rests either upon the upper surface of the plate member 20 immediately adjacent the pipe central passage 23 or on the flat-topped surface of the lugs 26 and 27 adjacent the pipe lateral passage of the tool. If a pipe coupling member 15 or 17 should be in a position to come to rest upon lugs 26 and 27 after lowering a drop-pipe 13 into a well casing, an operator simply applies force to the coupling member 15 to slide it along the top of lugs 26 and 27 to a centered position over the pipe central passage 23. In other words, the shoulder 18 of the pipe coupling member may he slid from a resting position on the flat-topped lugs 26 and 27 to a downward position free of those lugs and centered over the pipe central passage 23.

Extending downwardly from the plate member 20 is skirt-guide-flange 30 of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration, in that a longitudinal segment is removed from the cylinder so that the skirt-guide-flange 30 does not obstruct the lateral passage of pipe through the pipe lateral passage defined by walls 24 and 25. In essence, skirt-guide-fiange 30 depends from the under or lower surface of plate member 20 in portions thereof free of the pipe lateral passage defined by walls 24 and 25. Additionally, skirt-guide-fiange 30 is concentrically spaced about the pipe central passage 23, and serves as a guide element for centering the tool on the top of well casing 11, with skirt-guide-fiange 30 either inside (as illustrated in FIG. 1), or possibly outside, the upper edge of the Well casing 11. Either arrangement prevents the tool from slipping to a great extent oif center.

Preferably, an outer skirt-flange 31 also is present and is of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration, as in the case of the skirt-guide-flange 30. Outer skirt-flange 31 depends from the plate member 20 at outer peripheral portions thereof free of the pipe lateral passage of the slot opening 21. This outer skirt-flange also is concentrically spaced outwardly from the pipe central passage 23, and outwardly from the skirt-guideflange 30. Thus, skirt-guide-flange 30 is spaced between the pipe central passage 23 and the outer skirt-flange 31. Skirt-flange 31 is useful as a further guide element for centering the tool on the top of well casings, particularly those well casings of somewhat larger diameter but nevertheless of a size smaller than the selected diameter for the outer skirt-flange 31.

Means may be provided for gripping the tool for sliding it laterally on a drop-pipe until the drop-pipe is vertically received in the pipe central passage 23 as well as to slip the tool 10 laterally off of the drop-pipe. Suitable handle means may consist essentially of a rod-like extension laterally ofi of one edge of the plate member 20. However, preferred handle means consist essentially of ear-like extensions 32 and 33 outwardly in the plane of the plate member and diametrically opposite each other, as illustrated in the drawing.

The new method of installing drop-pipe, whether of metal or plastic, will now be described. First a coupling member 15 is attached to the upper end of a first length of drop-pipe to be lowered into the well casing 11. The lower end of that first length of drop-pipe may have any suitable device or structure as desired attached to it. To be recognized is the fact that the coupling member 15 is characterized by having an annular shoulder of greater diameter than the drop-pipe (and this shoulder for a suitable coupling member is best illustrated at numeral 18 in FIG. 1).

The drop-pipe is then held by means acting upon the coupling member 15 at the upper end thereof. Any suitable holding means may be employed; and the holding means is associated with a crane or like lowering mechanism adapted to be used for controlled lowering of the drop-pipe into the well casting.

The tool article of the invention is then laterally slid on the drop-pipe, with the drop-pipe passing through the pipe lateral passage defined by walls 24 and until the drop-pipe is vertically received in the pipe central passage 23 of the tool article. The tool article then is rested upon the upper edge of the casing 11 of a well, with the skirt-guide-fiange either depending inside of or outside of the upper edge of the well casing.

Next, the drop-pipe is lowered through the slot opening 21 of the tool article until the shoulder or edge of the coupling member 15 abuts against the upper surface areas of the tool article adjacent the slot opening 21. At this time, if the coupling member 15 rests in part upon lug members 26 and 27, force is applied to move that coupling member 15- by sliding it along the upper surfaces of lugs 26 and 27 until coupling member 15 drops over the terminal ends '28 and 29 of the lugs and rests at a central location over the pipe central passage 23. In some cases, however, coupling member 15 comes to rest in the central location over pipe central passage 23, and no lateral force is necessary to move it into that location. In any event, coupling member 15 is oriented solely by lateral movement over the slot opening 21 into a position immediately over the pipe central passage 23 of the tool article 10.

A second length 16 of drop-pipe (see FIG. 1), equipped with a second coupling member 17 at the upper end thereof, is then attached to the first coupling member 15; and this is customarily done by using pipe wrenches to thread the end of drop-pipe 16 into the co-acting internal threads at the upper end of coupling member 15.

After the second length of drop-pipe 16 with coupling member 17 at its upper end is attached to the coupling member 15 at rest on the tool article 10, the total assembly of drop-pipes is raised by means acting upon the second coupling member 15. But the extent to which this assembly is raised is just sufficient to permit hand lifting of the tool article 10 to a position above the upper edge of the well casing 11 so that the tool article 10 may be slid laterally underneath the first coupling member 15 off of the first length of drop-pipe 13.

Then the tool 10 is slid laterally on the lower end of the second length 16 of drop-pipe at a position just above the first coupling member 15. This is done to place the second length of drop-pipe 16 in vertical orientation in the pipe central passage 23 of the tool. The entire assembly is then lowered just sufiiciently to again rest the tool 10' upon the upper edge of the casing 11 of the well, with the skirt-guide-flange 30 either depending inside or outside of the upper edge of that well casing. These operations are repeated until the desired number of drop-pipe lengths has been installed in the well casing.

The new tool and method may be used to install droppipe in any suitable well casing for gas, water, oil or other fluids. It may be used to lower the equivalent of droppipe in well casings. The size of tool may vary greatly, even a size for the plate member as great as 36 inches (a yard or meter) in diameter being useful where a large casing makes that size practical. Slot openings as wide as a foot or so may be needed when drop-pipe of comparable size is to be installed. However, the major use of the new tool is in conjunction with well casings at least two inches up to about six or seven inches in diameter and droppipe of about one or possibly two inches in outer diameter. The dimensions of a tool formed of cast steel, which has been tested in practical environments for installing drop-pipe having a one-inch outer diameter in well casings having a three-inch and four-inch diameter, are as follows: The plate member 20 is about three-eights inch thick and has a diameter of about eight inches. The slot opening 21 is about one and three-eighths inches wide and about 4% inches long. The lugs 26 and 27 are inch wide and inch high. They extend inwardly from the perimeter 22 of the plate member about 3% inches, with the inner inch of that distance being the tapered portion 28 and 29 of the lugs. The taper is in the form of a gradual curve to the upper surface of the plate member as distinguished from a straight slope. The innermost 1 and inches of the slot opening 21 is entirely free of the lug elevation. The skirt-guide-fiange 30 is about /a inch thick and has an inner diameter of about 3% inches. The outer skirt-flange 31 is about h inch thick and has an inner diameter of about 7% inches. Both the skirtguide-fiange 30 and the outer skirt-flange 31 extend downwardly from the bottom surface-of the plate member about one and one-eighth inches. Each ear-like handle 32 and 33 projects outwardly from the circular plate member 20 about one-half inch.

That which is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture: A tool adapted to guide drop-pipe during the vertical lowering of the same as an installation in the casing of a well, said tool being free of moving parts and consisting essentially of a flat plate member having a pipe-receiving slot opening extending therein from the periphery thereof into the central area thereof, the inner terminal portion of said slot opening being characterized as a pipe central passage and the portion of said slot opening between said pipe central passage and the periphery of said plate member being characterized as a pipe lateral passage, each upper platemember surface immediately adjacent said pipe lateral passage being equipped with a flattopped lug extending along and united integrally with said upper surface immediately adjacent said lateral passage, the width of said slot opening being essentially uniform throughout its extent and being sufiicient to permit said drop-pipe to he slipped laterally through the lateral passage and longitudinally through said central passage but insufiicient to permit the shoulder of coupling members uniting separate lengths of said drop-pipe to pass longitudinally therethrough, whereby the shoulder of a pipe coupling member may he slid from a resting position on the flat-topped lugs of the pipe lateral passage to a downward position free of said lugs and centered over said pipe central passage, and a skirt-guide-flange of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration depending from said plate member in portions thereof free of said pipe lateral passage and concentrically spaced about said pipe central passage, said skirt-guide-flange being adapted to serve as a guide element for centering said tool on the top of a well casing with said skirt-guide-flange either inside or outside the upper edge of the well casing.

2. The article of claim 1 having, in addition, ears extending outwardly from said plate member by which to grip said tool for sliding it laterally on a drop-pipe until the drop-pipe is vertically reecived in said pipe central passage as well as for slipping said tool laterally off said drop-pipe.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein said plate member is circularly-shaped and said pipe-receiving slot opening of said plate member is radially oriented.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the termination of each of the fiat-topped lugs at the end thereof nearest said pipe central passage is tapered from the flat top thereof downwardly toward the upper surface of said plate member.

5. The article of claim 1 having, in addition, an outer skirt-flange of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration depending from said plate member at outer peripheral portions thereof free of said pipe lateral passage and concentrically spaced outwardly from said skirt-guide-fiange, whereby said skirt-guide-flange is spaced between said pipe central passage and said outer skirt-flange.

6. The article of claim 2, having, in addition, an outer skirt-flange of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration depending from said plate member at outer peripheral portions thereof free of said pipe lateral pas sage and concentrically spaced outwardly from said skirtguide-flange, whereby said skirt-guide-fiange is spaced between said pipe central passage and said outer skirtflange.

7. The article of claim 3, having, in addition, an outer skirt-flange of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration depending from said plate member at outer peripheral portions thereof free of said pipe lateral passage and concentrically spaced outwardly from said skirtguide-fiange, whereby said skirt-guide-flange is spaced between said pipe central passage and said outer skirt-flange.

8. The article of claim 4, having, in addition, an outer skirt-flange of approaching but incomplete cylindrical configuration depending from said plate member at outer peripheral portions thereof free of said pipe lateral passage and concentrically spaced outwardly from said skirtguide-fiange, whereby said skirt-guide-fiange is spaced between said pipe central passage and said outer skirt-flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 306,588 10/1884 Cronin 16677.5 780,861 5/1904 Buzard 16693 1,588,154 6/1926 Albrecht 16677.5 3,308,970 3/1967 Wilson et al. 166-85 JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

